Hard To Believe
by Coka Cookie Cola
Summary: It was a bad idea falling for the bad boy; he was the epitome of evil! But was he really that evil? Did he really fancy her? Klaus once asked her if that was so hard to believe. According to Caroline, it was. Until she kissed the daylights out of him at the bar. AU (kind of) COMPLETE


**Klaroline – awesome pairing! They really are too cute! ^_^**

**I hope you enjoy!**

**And for the record, I do not own The Vampire Diaries.**

**Hard To Believe**

Caroline Forbes was too smart to be seduced by him, yet that was what Klaus liked about her… She, honestly, didn't even know what to feel at that moment… Nor she didn't even know what to feel when she danced with him… Klaus' warm hands touching her softly, his eyes gazing into her bright orbs with affection, how was she supposed to feel?

Annoyed? Yes.

Flattered? She didn't know.

All she knew was that she was already spoken for by Tyler, but that didn't stop Klaus from trying to win her over. Expensive jewelry and romantic drawings was certainly not going to cut it.

Caroline was more confused about this than anything else…

This was the original hybrid that killed because it was fun. This was the hybrid that had enforced a sire bond with her boyfriend.

This was the man that had offered her to take her around the world…

_**Small town boy, small town life. This is not enough for you…**_Caroline distinctly remembered his words; he was staring into her eyes with such passion.

God… what was it about him that intrigued her? No, no, no! She could NOT be intrigued by this guy, who had a creepy obsession with her!

_**If Tyler were still under my sire bond, he wouldn't have hurt you. I wouldn't let him**__._ Caroline was beyond words when she heard Klaus speak to her with promise in his voice. She had to admit that he sounded sweet… a little too sweet, perhaps?

_Don't forget he's saved your life,_ Caroline reminded herself. This made Caroline even more confused of what she should do. He saved her from Alaric….

_**Shhh, it's okay, you're safe**__. _She could still feel his arms wrapped protectively around her form, as his voice whispered quietly in her ear. Hell, she could still even feel his warm breath on her skin.

Was he really that evil? Did he really fancy her?

_**Is that so hard to believe?**_

Caroline groaned in frustration. She could not think about Klaus right now!

She was just going to drown away all her sorrows through drinking, since she had nothing better to do. She took another sip of scotch, ignoring the intense burning as it cascaded down her throat. It was amazing how vampires could never get drunk, when really, Caroline wanted to get loose. All of this 'vampire cure' drama could go stuff it. At least until she felt like dealing with everything else in the morning.

"Caroline." Klaus' accent was recognizable; there was no question about it. She could always tell it was him, whether if he was saying "love" or "sweetheart"; to be honest, there could have been worse pet-names.

"What do you want?" Caroline gave her 'admirer' a cold, calculating stare, as she pursed her lips.

Klaus' lips turned into a small smile, before he took a seat next to her, gazing in her eyes… Caroline tried hard not to swoon over his well-proportioned features that were giving her the attention that she felt she needed from other people.

"What is a stunning girl like you, doing in a place like this?" Klaus asked.

"Oh, you know, just hiding from people like you," Caroline retaliated with a sneer, before taking one last sip of her scotch.

"Or rather, your friend Tyler?" Caroline furrowed her eyebrows in confusion for a moment, before realizing what he meant. Klaus still assumed that Tyler had cheated on Caroline with Hailey… but really, that was a lie.

Did Caroline feel guilty about lying to Klaus – seeing that she was in on the whole plan?

If he had not told her that he wouldn't have let Tyler hurt her… Then no, she wouldn't have been guilty. But time seemed to change people, as well as words flowing out from the lips. Especially from the lips from someone like Klaus.

"Well, at least I'm not running away from my problems."

Klaus' creepy little smile turned into a preemptive grin. "I haven't given up on that offer to take you out seeing the world. Wouldn't it be nice to escape into paradise for one night, Caroline?" He whispered, leaning in closer and closer… Caroline's eyes widened in surprise, as his lips were close to touching her own.

"Yeah. One night doing God knows what and then tomorrow comes, and then you have your problems to deal with. Oh, wait a minute; you don't have to deal with anything. You have your hybrids, right?" Caroline raised an eyebrow, scoffing.

"Is it so hard to believe that I fancy you, Caroline?"

Caroline wished that she could just punch him straight in the face… But at the same time, did she actually feel flattered that he LIKED her? The warm feeling residing in her 'heart' believed so.

"Maybe it is, okay? I'm stupid, I'm shallow, I'm useless – just ask everyone else what they think of me."

She didn't want to start a pity part and who knew what Klaus would respond to that…

"And you honestly care what they think of you?" Klaus responded with a serious tone, unlike the playful tone he had used not even five minutes ago.

"Maybe I do care. Maybe way too much," Caroline rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I wish I can turn my emotions off, but…" She paused as she met the reconnaissance eyes of Klaus, who appeared to be giving a damn. "I don't want to be a different person."

This was similar to the conversation the two of them had at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant; she remembered the smiling, the touching and the endless teasing (on Klaus' part). Most of all, she remembered how he told her there was one moment in his life he thought about being human… It was like that was the one day where any hostility turned into playful behavior between children.

"So you want to go back to the days of being the chairman of the Mystic Falls committee?"

Caroline widened her eyes, clearly remembering that he had somehow gotten a hold of her Miss Mystic Falls application form. Clearly, he still had it, as he pulled it out from the inside of his jacket to wave it. Of course, Klaus thought he was so clever, since he was grinning…

She had to say that she liked it.

"Oh my God, why do you still have that?" Caroline reached out for it, but Klaus was a lot faster than the average vampire; he kept the application behind his back the moment she leaned forward.

"Need I say that I just loved how confident you were 'when' filling it out?"

Klaus making a joke? That was like saying Damon was going to feed on animal blood for the rest of eternity. It was like saying Tyler ACTUALLY cheated on her… It was impossible to consider. Until he actually 'giggled' the first time around of the alleged 'date' at the Pageant.

"Ha, ha. Very funny. Mind giving it back to me now?"

"I might acquiesce to your request if you promise me a second date."

It was more than applications now… It was the fact that Caroline had been flirting with Klaus; the endless teasing at the pageant proved that, as well as the fact that she had been clinging unto his arm.

It was more than that too; how the two of them act around each other. Caroline just presented him with a challenge and the fact that she was smart. She was too smart to be seduced by Klaus and he knew that too. The fact that she had acted independent in his presence could have flickered something in him too. Not only was she more than a pretty face, she could just say anything she wanted to him without fearing for her life to be taken away: because both of them knew that he couldn't kill her.

Klaus enjoyed her; she was full of light, she was strong and she was beautiful.

"A second date?" Caroline would have said no – if only he wasn't looking at her that way. He was undressing her with his eyes, and it seemed like she was too captivated by them to look away.

_You are definitely falling for him;_ one part of her conscience told her so.

It was not a good idea to fall in love with a bad boy – Klaus was the epitome of evil!

_But he cares… in his own way… _was the last thought that seemed to appear in Caroline's head.

"I take it that you accept," Klaus smiled; and for some reason, Caroline couldn't find the true meaning behind this one. Maybe it was because she was deluding herself to thinking she was getting buzzed, thus, concentration was out of her reach.

"Fine. Whatever."

Klaus sure was persistent trying to win her heart. Caroline could have wished him luck with that, but decided that drinking some more scotch was a much more appealing option.

She was going to go on an actual date with Klaus.

The thought had to have run in her head at least 3000 times before a plethora of a variety of emotions took hold of her. Nervous, because she actually accepted but there was another reason for these nerves. Second? Angry because she was going on a date with a vicious **killer**. Thirdly, she had to be completely honest with herself; she felt a spark of excitement. It was a tiny spark, but a spark nonetheless; she was looking forward to this date.

Maybe she was actually dying for some actual company, who knew what the lame reasons were. Yes, she said lame reasons because Caroline could not fool herself now.

So maybe she did have an attraction to Klaus, but was she in love with him?

Yeah, that thought better remain unsaid.

"You know, love, that look doesn't quite suit your pretty face."

Caroline mentally shook her head to clear away any thoughts; considering that she all but thought that Klaus was creeping her way into her heart.

"Would you rather me look like I'm having the most fantabulous time of my life?" Caroline snorted, as she crossed her arms.

"Actually, yes," Klaus smirked, amusement sparkling in his captivating eyes. "So please do not hold back on my account. I won't bite."

Caroline was smart enough to know when he says one thing, he probably means another. But when it came to her… Caroline knew she was his weakness – like it or not.

"Of course you wouldn't bite me. Tyler…" For a sudden moment, Caroline – once again – nearly forgot that she and Tyler had 'broken up'. And the sudden mention of him got her thinking… how would he react IF he knew about her second date with Klaus?

"Anyways," Caroline leaned forward, but one of her heels had somehow managed to trip on loose piece of the floor, causing her to slip….

Right into Klaus' arms and into his chest.

Caroline could feel her face heating up with embarrassment and shock. She could feel his arms wrap around her, in an attempt to steady her; these were the same arms that helped her feel safe during that time with Alaric…

Caroline slowly pulled back, seeing Klaus stare into her baby blue eyes with such… concern? Affection? Caroline wasn't sure what to call that look, but she didn't think she'd seen it before.

"Easy there, sweetheart."

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you," Caroline derided, but did not bring her to pull herself out of the safety and warmth of Klaus' chest.

"Independence. I like that. But you should be nicer to me for saving your life on multiple occasions," Klaus tucked a few blonde strays of hair from Caroline's face behind her ears, as he continued to silently appreciate her beauty. "Still haven't given me a thank you, I see."

"Thank you for saving my life, Klaus, now will you please –"

"Please what, darling? Take me up on your glorious offer of hot, hybrid sex?" He just had to wiggle his eyebrows in a flirtatious, and certainly in a suggestive, manner.

"You would have had a ton of that with your hybrid friends over the years," Caroline replied.

"And you would have liked what you would have gotten – IF you hadn't known it was me."

Caroline couldn't help but frown in disgust. "Do you still have to remind me about the time you managed to manipulate Tyler's body AND didn't even tell me about it?"

Klaus chuckled. "I tried to tell you, Caroline, but you couldn't keep your ravishing lips off of me."

Caroline couldn't help but slap him in the face. He didn't have to act so pretentious. But he chose to anyway.

She, had to admit it now, liked it.

"Considering his indiscretions, shouldn't you kiss me instead?"

Klaus, nor Caroline, was not expecting for her to crash her pink lips against Klaus'. Caroline couldn't deny it anymore.. she couldn't fight against the urge to kiss the daylight out of this jerk. Her lips moved against his, which immediately reciprocated the kiss with equal passion and want.

Caroline would have blamed it on the booze that got her all flustered in Klaus' presence, but she was not even close to being buzzed. In fact, she enjoyed the hot kiss that was still occurring between the vampire and the hybrid. His lips were scorching hot and they managed to kiss her senseless – even though she had started it.

"There. There's your thank you. Happy now?" Caroline said the moment she pulled away from the kiss.

"You are indeed a fantastic kisser…"

"Well, that's the only one you're going to get. Goodbye, Klaus," Caroline said, before leaving The Grill – without taking one look back at Klaus.

Klaus begged to differ on that… He knew that she was going to want more… He was willing to wait, for now, for her to show up on his doorstep to accept his offer.

Both of them knew that this small-town life would never be enough for her.

**:3 :3 :3**

**I really happened to enjoy writing this one-shot! ^_^ **

**I'll probably write more in the future! :D**

**So, what did you think guys? Please leave a review? :3**


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